Battle of Roundway Down

Roundway Down

Date	13 July 1643
Location	near Devizes, Wiltshire
Result	Royalist victory

Belligerents

Parliamentarians

Royalists

Commanders and leaders

Sir William Waller
Sir Arthur Haselrig

Lord Hopton
Lord Wilmot

Strength

c 2,500 horse
c 1,800 foot
8 guns

1,800 horse
c 2,000 foot
2 light guns

Casualties and losses

600 killed
1,000 captured

unknown

Coordinates: 51°23′10″N 1°59′24″W / 51.386°N 1.990°W / 51.386; -1.990

The Battle of Roundway Down was fought on 13 July 1643, during the First English Civil War. A Royalist cavalry force under Lord Wilmot won a crushing victory over the Parliamentarians under Sir William Waller who were besieging Devizes in central Wiltshire, which was defended by Lord Hopton. Roundway Down and Oliver's Castle are about 1.5 km (0.93 mi) north of Devizes and now form part of the North Wessex Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

On 5 July, Hopton's army had driven Waller from his position at the indecisive Battle of Lansdowne. In doing so they suffered many casualties and desertions. Sir Bevil Grenville, the popular commander of Hopton's Cornish troops, was killed in the battle. Hopton himself was temporarily blinded the next day by an exploding ammunition cart. The explosion also left the army very short of gunpowder. The Royalist army was forced to withdraw towards Oxford, the Royalist capital, so that they could receive reinforcements and supplies.

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